White House urging N. Korea to release 2 Americans

The White House is urging North Korea to release Merrill Newman, an85-year-old U.S. veteran of the Korean War who has been held in NorthKorea since October.

Given Newman's "advanced age and healthconditions, we urge the DPRK to release Mr. Newman so he may return homeand reunite with his family," Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for theWhite House National Security Council, said Saturday, according tomultiple media outlets.

The White House also urged NorthKorean authorities to release Kenneth Bae, an American who has been heldin Korea for more than a year, Reuters reported. "We remain deeply concerned about the welfare of the U.S. citizens held in custody," Hayden said in the statement.

EarlierSaturday, North Korea's state media claimed Newman - a retired financeexecutive - apologized for alleged crimes during the Korean War and for"hostile acts" against the state during a recent trip.

Newman was taken off a plane Oct. 26 by North Korean authorities while preparing to leave after a 10-day visit. Newman's son has said his father wanted to return to the country, where he spent three years during the war.

AP reported North Korea has been accused of previously coercing statements from detainees.

In addition, Newman's alleged statement was riddled with stilted English and grammatical errors, such as "I want not punish me."

"Ihave been guilty of a long list of indelible crimes against DPRKgovernment and Korean people," Newman purportedly wrote in a four-pagestatement, adding: "Please forgive me."